192 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



are some variations in the type of egg from those of the latter 

 species. The ground-colour is white or greenish- wh.te, and 

 the spots vary from olive-brown to black, in the latter case 

 being dotted over the egg. The underlying spots and blotches 

 are violet-grey, but often pinkish-grey. As with many of the 

 ejgs of this group of Warblers, the grey blotches are very 

 prominent, and sometimes overwhelm tne fainter oferlymg 

 spots. One type of egg has almost the appearance of a Pied 

 Wagtail's, both the overlying and underlying dots being very 

 small, and a little more clustered round the larger end. Axis, 

 075-0*8 inch; diam., o*55-o'6. In Spain the Cuckoo is very 

 partial to the nests of this Warbler, and lays eggs exactly like 

 those of the birds it victimises (cf. Saunders, Man., p. 46). 



THE BLACKCAP. SYLVIA ATRICAPILLA. 



Motadlla atricapilla, Linn., S. N., i., p. 332 (1766). 



Sylvia atricapilla, Macg., Br. B., ii., p. 339 (1839); Newt. ed. 



Yarr., i., p. 418 (1873); Dresser, B. Eur., ii., p. 421, pi. 



66 (1875) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., v., p. 23 (1881) ; 



id. Hist. Br. B., i., p. 394 (1883) ; B. O. U. List Br. B, 



p. 12 (1883); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B., pt. i. (1885); 



Saunders, Man., p. 47 (1889). 



Adult Male. General colour above light olive-brown, a little 

 greyer towards the rump and on the upper tail-coverts ; wing- 

 coverts like the back ; quills sepia-brown, edged with olive- 

 brown, greyer on the primaries ; tail-feathers sepia-brown, 

 edged with ashy-grey ; crown of head glossy black, extending 

 as far as the nape and forming a cap ; hind-neck and sides of 

 head slaty-grey, like the ear-coverts and sides of the face and 

 lores ; eyelid whitish ; throat, breast, and abdomen ashy-white, 

 the fore-neck, chest, and sides of body light slaty-grey, be- 

 coming tinged with brown on the lower flanks, and darker 

 brown on the thighs ; under tail-coverts white with dusky 

 ashy centres ; axillaries and under wing-coverts ashy with a 

 tinge of isabelline; quills dusky below, with an ashy lining ; 

 bill dark brown ; feet and claws leaden grey ; iris hazel. 

 Total length, 5-8 inches; culmen, 0-45 ; wing, 2*95 ; tail, 2-25 ; 

 tarsus, o'8. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but distinguished by 

 having the cap rufous or rusty-brown, the hind neck being 

 grey as in the male, Total length, 5-5 inches; wing, 2 '8. 



